We propose a polarization switching device using optically compensated pi cell for polarization-glass-type three-dimensional display. This device shows good optical properties such as high transmittance and low cross-talk ratio because of its fast dynamic response characteristics. To improve the brightness and contrast ratio on the right-and left-hand sides, we attach optical retardation films on each side of the polarization glasses instead of attaching the films on the polarization switching panel. From the calculation and experiment, we obtain high contrast ratios, over 200:1, on both sides and a high brightness using only one film on each side. © 2011 American Institute of Physics. ͓doi:10.1063/1.3548863͔The flat-panel display technology has developed very fast in the past decade. Hence, this technology is attaining maturity and the market is approaching saturation. On the contrary, the market for three-dimensional ͑3D͒ display has been rapidly expanding worldwide. Many researchers have made various efforts to develop 3D displays with twodimensional ͑2D͒/3D switching, high brightness, and high resolution.1-9 Among these technologies, the stereoscopic 3D display using 3D glasses has attracted industrial attention because it has neither the loss of spatial resolution nor the 3D moiré effect between pixels and barrier. Moreover, the stereoscopic 3D technology is suitable for realizing 2D/3D switching easily. The glass-type 3D displays are divided into passive retarder type using patterned retarder film 5 and active retarder type using either liquid crystal ͑LC͒ shutter glasses 6,7 or polarization switching ͑PS͒ panels. 8,9 However, active retarder type with LC shutter glasses has poor brightness in the 3D mode because of the slow response time and writing speed of the LC panel and shutter glasses. Moreover, the shutter glass is too heavy and uncomfortable due to the presence of batteries, for an active operation. A 3D display with PS panel ͑3D-PS͒ uses polarization glasses that are lighter and more comfortable than LC shutter glasses, because they do not need batteries for operation. However, it also has drawbacks such as low brightness and 3D cross-talk because of slow response time of the PS panel.8 Moreover, without optical compensation, this device has low and asymmetric contrast ratio ͑CR͒. To overcome these limits, we suggested a 3D-PS using dual-frequency LC and two half-waveplate ͑HWP͒ films.9 However, it still has problems such as decrease in brightness due to the two HWPs, low CR under 200:1, and low cell gap under 3 m. Hence, it is difficult to commercialize this technology.In this letter, we propose a stereoscopic 3D display with a PS panel of high brightness and CR. The PS panel is a pi cell with very fast response time. To obtain high brightness and CR in the left-and right-hand sides simultaneously, we suggest a structure with optical compensation using one film on each side. We have measured the properties of the proposed cell, such as its electro-optical ͑EO͒ and dynamic response characteristic...